Elderly Brooklyn Man Pummeled Over Two Recyclable Cans Dies from Injuries Days Later

An Elderly Brooklyn man was beaten up over several recyclable cans, and he died from injuries days later from the altercation.

Elderly Brooklyn Man Killed Over Recyclable Cans

The 60-year-old was beaten up because of a fight over cans that led to his death four days later. The assailant who pummeled him said he hoped the victim would die, remarked the police in the court files.

A vicious battering began after the men met each other the morning of Dec. 4 just next to an Associated Supermarket on Hegeman Ave. near Rockaway Ave. in Brownsville, as seen by police and witnesses, reported NY Daily News.

According to the report, Danny Quiles, 52, allegedly hit the older man, Arthur Fleschner, in an assault close to the beverage recycling machine near the supermarket.

Mary Nielsen, the sister of the assaulted man, could not believe the news. She has not seen her brother for 20 years and did express worry that he lived in Brooklyn, noted Local Today.

Nielsen, from Vero Beach, Florida, said Fleschner was a good and smart person. He was skilled in electronics and even fixed cars by taking them apart and putting them back.

Attacker Charged with Manslaughter

The two met a few years back when they lived in the Hegeman, a housing place for formerly homeless single men. They thrive by gathering cans in the local neighborhood and taking them to the nearby supermarket that takes these cans and then converts them to cash.

One of the witnesses who saw the assault and footage taken of it said that Quiles walked to the other man. Put down the two bags he carried, pulled the victim by the collar, then hit him about four times, citing Twice Think.

The person, who wanted to stay anonymous, said Flescher was nice, not violent, adding that the altercation happened over two cans. It was learned the old man would sweep the area to get free food, said a worker from the supermarket. But, Quiles was mean-spirited, as he would even argue with older women, said a friend of the victim.

After getting knocked out from the beating, the attacker dragged him off the sidewalk and escaped the scene. A worker from a close by store was told by the attacker what he did, according to an outlet. Quiles told the worker that he was angry at him. The worker added the guy who killed the Flescher said that he thought Fleschner took the bottles.

EMTs brought the victim with facial fractures and brain bleeding to the Brookdale University Hospital, but he passed away last Thursday. A victim's friend says the cans were exchanged for 5 cents and could not believe that only two dollars caused the attack.

Quiles was caught the day after the victim died. He was accused of manslaughter, criminal homicide, and assault. He was in the Brooklyn Criminal Court with a $300,000 bail. The accused confessed to the criminal complaint and said that he hoped the victim should die, there was no comment from the council last Monday.

Both men were involved in other cases, had not been arrested, and the victim has a court date on Dec. 30 for charges of menacing with a weapon. An elderly Brooklyn man was killed over an argument over recyclable cans and died from injuries four days later.

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